Kompany among Belgium stars missing training ahead of World Cup opener

A host of Premier League stars had to sit out during an
open training session after picking up injuries in a 90-
minute kickabout ahead of their opener against Algeria
By Kris Voakes in Sao Paulo
Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen and
Moussa Dembele all missed Belgium’s open training session on
Friday after picking up minor knocks in an intra-squad friendly
24 hours earlier.
Instead of joining the remainder of Marc Wilmots’ squad, the
quartet were seen cycling gently around the roads of the
Red Devils’ Paradise Golf Resort training base in a bid to
relieve the slight injuries.
However, all four are expected to be fit in good time to
feature in Belgium’s opening Group H fixture against Algeria in
Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.
A team official confirmed that the group had been given a
“separate programme” to the rest of the squad and there
are no concerns over their availability for the clash with
Vahid Halilhodzic’s side in four days’ time.
Belgium are favourites to progress from their group, with
fixtures against Russia and South Korea also to come.